Baseball

Five for Five

Players, coaches answer NCAA.com's questions

OMAHA, Neb. -- NCAA.com had the chance to sit down with several players and coaches on Friday's College World Series Media Day. To get to know the competitors a little better, we asked them five questions about their lives in and out of baseball. Read their answers below.

TEXAS LONGHORNS

Augie Garrido -- Head Coach -- Vallejo, California

Q: Best advice anyone has given you …A: Be truthful.

Q: Toughest pitcher you ever faced …A: Luis Tiant. It was my first spring training in Tuscon, Arizona, after I signed with the Cleveland Indians when I was 18 years old.

Q: If you were given a yacht right now, what would you name it?A: Between Innings.

Q: What moment will stand out the most when you look back at this season a few years from now?A: The development of the team, the spirit of the team. The fact that they have bonded together as one. They’ve taken the responsibility to motivate and to inspire each other -- it’s no longer the coaches’ responsibility to go up and down the dugout to get them to play up to their level. They are doing it themselves.

Q: What was your first car?A: A Chevrolet. My dad bought it when I went to college [Fresno State] for $150.

Q: You could spend 15 minutes with anyone in history, who would it be?
A: Gen. George Patton because of who he was and what they accomplished in the face of what they were dealing with.

Q: What is your favorite piece of sports memorabilia?
A: I have a Nolan Ryan-signed baseball -- he doesn’t know it.

Connor Spencer -- Junior -- Trabuco Canyon, California

Q: One player on your team you’re happy you never have to face?
A: Andrew Morales. It’s electric stuff. Every pitch in his arsenal is a plus pitch for him. His slider is a kill pith, his curve is a kill pitch. I’m definitely glad I don’t have to face him.

Q: What’s your favorite piece of sports memorabilia that you own?
A: I was big on baseball cards as a kid. My favorite player was Darin Erstad, so the first card I bought was a Darin Erstad rookie card.

Q: If you could spend 15 minutes with anyone who has ever lived on the face of the earth, who would it be?
A: Lou Gehrig. He was an inspiration to me growing up. I read his biography and I thought it was really interesting about all the things he had to tackle in his life. I think it would be real interesting to talk baseball with him.

Q: What is the last song you listened to?
A: I was on the bus and I was listening to an Imagine Dragons song. I saw them in concert … I think it was Round and Round.

Q: What is the best nickname you’ve had in your life?
A: Growing up it was “Shark” but it’s become “the Wizard.” Somebody said I’m a wizard with the bat and it’s stuck. I’m like the only player in the nation swinging this model of this bat, so I’ve become the wizard.

VANDERBILT COMMODORES

Tim Corbin -- Head Coach -- Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

Q: Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met?A: George Bush.

Q: What’s your most useless talent?
A: I’ve got a lot of them. Probably the fact that I can rollerblade.

Q: What’s the best nickname you’ve been given?
A: “Corbs.” It just sticks. I had it all through high school.

Q: What was your first car?
A: A Ford Bronco with a plow on the front.

Q: What is your favorite piece of sports memorabilia?
A: It would have to be anything that’s a Babe Ruth item. My grandmother was a best friend of his daughter, so we used to get a lot of Babe Ruth stuff.

Dansby Swanson -- Sophomore -- Marietta, Georgia

Q: Who’s the toughest pitcher you’ve ever faced?
A: Aaron Nola of LSU. When he pitched against us on Friday night, he was spectacular. He could put it wherever he wanted and it made it tough.

Q: What’s the best nickname you’ve ever had?
A: My grandfather calls me “D-Man” and I’ve had it ever since I was 3 years old.

Q: What’s the most interesting class you’ve taken in college?
A: I’d say financial accounting. I was really good at it and I love math. It worked out well for me -- I got an A.

Q: What’s your favorite hobby outside of baseball?
A: I don’t really have many, but hanging with my best friends.

Q: Someone just handed you a yacht, what would you name it?
A: Anchor Down, for the Commodores.

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Dan McDonnell -- Head Coach -- Port Chester, New York

Q:I just gave you a yacht, what would you name it?A: Pals. I’m blessed to have a lot of great friends -- guys I played high school baseball with, college baseball with, and to this day we call ourselves the pals. It’s neat when your kids call these guys uncle, because we’re so close.

Q: What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?
A: I played for a legendary coach in Coach [Chal] Port and I coached with one of his disciples, Coach [Fred] Jordan, so I have one that I use a lot -- “organization is man’s greatest asset.” If you can be organized, it can relieve a lot of stress and anxiety.

Q: Who is the toughest player you ever faced?
A: We played against Phil Nevin of Cal State Fullerton in the College World Series, but I also had to hit against Paul Byrd. I got a hit against Paul Byrd but then he picked me off -- it was a balk, they just didn’t call it. I was fortunate to play against a lot of great players.

Q: What’s your favorite professional sports team?
A: The Giants. I’m from New York and when you’re from New York, you’re very passionate about your teams. When you leave New York, you feel like you can root for both teams. My dad had season tickets to the Jets growing up, so I grew up going to Shea Stadium. I love all my New York teams. I even root for the Rangers now, even though I grew up an Islanders fan. I tell people that it’s really the only rivalry between New York teams.

Nick Burdi-- Junior -- Downers Grove, Illinois

Q: What was your first car?
A: I think it was a Mazda -- it was my grandma’s car. I have no idea what happened to it.

Q: What’s your most useless talent?
A: Being really good at Mario Kart.

Q: Do you have any superstitions before a game?
A: I need to wake up and have something like a smoothie, something healthy, to start the day off right. Usually I listen to the same kind of music, same playlist, before a game.

Q: Who’s the toughest hitter you’ve ever faced?
A: Kyle Schwarber [Indiana]. He’s an all-around good hitter, he spoils good pitches. I’ve thrown him really good fastballs that he was able to hit. All around he’s the best hitter.

Q: What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?
A: Don’t ever get outworked. One thing that’s stuck with me is be the hardest-working player in the country.

TCU HORNED FROGS

Jim Schlossnagle -- Head Coach -- Hagerstown, Maryland

Q: What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?
A: Probably since we’re here at the College World Series, would be that, ‘You’re not a very good player, why don’t you think about coaching?’ My college coach, Rick Jones, who just retired at Tulane, told me that and that’s what got me started in this business.

Q: What’s your most useless talent?
A: I consider myself a pretty good fisherman, but I never get to go fishing.

Q: What’s the best part about your hometown?
A: The people. Western Maryland is home. You get all four seasons there on the Mason-Dixon Line.

Q: I just gave you a yacht, what would you name it and why?
A: I would name it Rosenblatt for sure. That’s where my most fond memories of baseball are.

Q: You can spend 15 minutes with anyone in history, who would it be?
A: Jesus Christ.

Boomer White -- Sophomore -- Houston, Texas

Q: What is your favorite professional sports team?
A: Houston Texans. I’ve always been a die-hard football guy and I guess the last few years has really ignited it, especially when I never really had a good professional football team around.

Q: What’s the funniest moment of the season?
A: It’s never funny at the time, but Dylan Fitzgerald has a really big issue with making outs on the bases. We rag on him throughout the entire year since he’s a 4.0 student and really smart in school, but he’s not when he gets out on the field. He buckles under pressure.

Q: What was your first car?
A: I have a copper, 2006 F-150 and I plan on never giving that thing away. It only has about 85,000 miles.

Q: What’s the best nickname you’ve ever been given?
A: Going by Boomer, it usually ignites all these other crazy names. I’ve heard: “Boomstick,” “Boomtown,” “Boom-a-loom,” “Boom Pow,” “Boomer Sooner” -- they are just crazy.

Q: What’s the most interesting class you’ve taken?
A: I was in a theatre class my freshman year as a requirement and I thought it was going to be miserable, but I ended up making an A and was my teacher’s favorite student. So I’m not really sure what to think of that because I’m not a theatre guy, but it was awesome and really entertaining.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

Tim Tadlock -- Head Coach -- Denton, Texas

Q: What’s your favorite nickname someone gave you?
A: “Tadpole.” They played it off my last name so it’s a pretty easy one.

Q: Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met?
A: Cliff Gustafson [former Texas head coach]. My high school coach’s dad was head of the Southwest Conference umpires, so he introduced us. He gave me a hat.

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
A: Not being on time. I don’t have that many.

Q: I just gave you a yacht, what would you name it and why?
A: It would be a bass boat. I don’t need a yacht. I’d name it Lake Ready because I’d want it to be lake ready.

Stephen Smith -- Freshman -- Wolfforth, Texas

Q: What’s the funniest moment of the season?
A: It probably happened pretty recently. Under Armour sent us Spider-Man shirts and one of our pitchers, Corey Taylor, was running around the locker room like he was Spider-Man.

Q: Do you have any pregame superstitions?
A: None at all.

Q: What’s your favorite hobby outside of baseball?
A: Football -- both playing and watching it.

Q: What’s your favorite baseball memory?
A: Playing in the Little League World Series. I still have all my stuff from that run.

Q: What’s your most useless talent?
A: I have really girly handwriting. It’s incredibly embarrassing. Sometimes I scribble a little bit to make it more like how men are supposed to write.

Q: What was your first car?
A: My first car was a 2003 Jetta. I got rid of it when I came to school. I could drive maybe from my school and back without any problems and it was only about five minutes away.

Q: What’s the last song you listened to?
A: Turn Down For What [by DJ Snake and Lil Jon].

Q: What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?
A: Have fun. No matter what just have fun.

MISSISSIPPI REBELS

Mike Bianco -- Head Coach -- Wilmington, Delaware

Q: What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
A: Continue to work hard and success will come.

Q: What’s your favorite hobby outside of baseball?
A: Unfortunately I don’t have any hobbies, so spending time with my family.

Q: I just gave you a yacht, what would you name it and why?
A: The Nina, after my mother.

Q: What’s the last song you listened to?
A: I’m not a music guy, but Centerfield [by John Fogerty] because they played it at Louisiana-Lafayette in the seventh inning.

Q: What’s the best nickname you’ve had?
A: “Bio.” In college they took the first and last parts of our names, so out of Bianco they got “Bio.”

Will Allen -- Senior -- Gainesville, Florida

Q: What’s the favorite part about your hometown?
A: It’s a college town like Oxford and I know everyone there. It’s where I grew up and it has my heart.

Q: If you had a theme song that played when you walked into a room, what would it be?
A: I’m a pretty big country music guy, so something from George Strait or Eric Church.

Q: What’s the most interesting class you’ve taken?
A: American politics. I had an unbelievable teacher and he showed me a couple things about American government that I didn’t really understand.

Q: Who’s the toughest pitcher you’ve ever faced?
A: Aaron Nola is up there this year. We faced Alex Wood at Georgia a couple years ago and he was unbelievable. I’ll throw D.J. Baxendale of Arkansas in there from my freshman year. He was unbelievable.

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
A: When people hold my phone. I don’t know why, I have nothing to hide but it just really gets on my nerves.